1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electrical connectors and, more particularly, to an electrical connector having a combined shield and latch.
2. Brief Description of Earlier Developments
U.S. Pat. No. 5,611,711 discloses an electrical connector with a shield jacket. U.S. Pat. No. 5,660,558 discloses an electrical connector having a shield with integral latch arms. U.S. Pat. No. 5,021,002 discloses an electrical connector with a movable outer hood and a snap-lock latch. Most cable assemblies that are used to interconnect units of electronic equipment are required to perform a number of functions in addition to the normal function of providing an electrical pathway between two pieces of equipment. The cable connectors must be rugged and resistant to damage by normal use. They must be capable of being mechanically secured to the equipment so that they are not easily dislodged during use. The electromagnetic integrity of the electronic systems needs to be maintained between the electronic systems so that undesirable electronic signals are not emitted from the system. The multiple functions required of these connectors tends to make "external" cable assemblies high in cost, since they typically require a number of component parts to perform the various mechanical and electrical functions such as signal transmission, mechanical latching and electromagnetic shielding. All of the various pieces of the system must also fit together properly for reliable function. Therefore it is desirable to integrate some of these functions to lower the number of components and their costs and to improve reliability. This is particularly true in miniaturized systems where the requirements for precision and accuracy are great. There is a need for an electrical connector having integration of shielding and latching functions for a lower manufacturing cost and higher potential reliability than prior art designs.